The New Relocated East Wok

 Sometimes an upgrade isn't always good for a restaurant. The food can go down in quality while going up in price. Old favorites are knocked off the menu . Even a new location can be bad. However for East Wok, formerly of Saddle Brook, New Jersey now in the neighboring town of Elmwood Park changing locations was a glow up.

I;be always loved East Wok. They have the best chicken on a stick as well as a very lush shrimp in lobster sauce Their soups have gotten me through a number of colds and stomach flus. Their chefs produced some of the best food in the worst space possible. All those great dishes were created in a cubby hole in an ancient strip mall. It was tiny , without any air conditioning./ Anyone could see the need for a move.

Move they did - to a corner shop with a revamped kitchen and new floors. This (above) is so much better than their old eatery. There are marble floors and a lovely bathroom. Seats and table line the curved windows where you can see the main street.

Their always delicious fried dumplings and spring rolls actually taste better. Is it because of the air conditioned and bigger kitchen Maybe? Or the fact that its a joy to be in? Maybe. They have added to their menu too. I am dying to try their salt and pepper tofu and chicken as well as their new seafood dumplings.There is also Mala style different meats and tofu, cooked with fiery dry Szechuan peppers..East Wok still has their lunch specials that has the main meal with the choice of wonton or egg drop soups and a soda.

If you're looking for a great Chinese restaurant to visit this weekend stop in at the newly relocated East Wok.It's a great place to get a variety of different Asian dishes. The food is beyond delicious.

EAST WOK
234A Market Street,

Elmwood Park ,New Jersey 07407

Tell.201-556-0032

Hearty Quick Meals For Dinner

 Everything is more or less back to normal. There are no more vacation days where everyone is home. Yet it's still cold. Everyone needs a hot dinner to come home to. This is where hearty and quick come in.

A hot dinner is a comforting relief when everyone comes home from a full day of school and work. Yet there's always not enough time to create a full  meal. This is where frozen food and shortcuts come in handy. Take advance of your frozen food section. Frozen lasagna comes in handy and it can be heated up quickly in the microwave. There are two types. the red with meat and the white ,usually with veggies. Lidl has both and both are great for an enjoyable hot supper. Stouffer's is the classic that everyone grew up on and it doesn't;t disappoint. ut;s still meaty and saucy. For a more authentic taste then buy Rao's which comes format eh restaurant of the same name. Have hot rolls and butter along with a simple tomato and lettuce salad as sides. Chili is another hearty and quick meal that just requires a few opened cans and a crockpot. This also can be made with it's to red, depending on taste. The white is usually made with turkey or chicken while the red is almost always made with beef pork or even plant based meat. Add a few beans such as kidney and red for a tasty spoonful. Tomato sauce is always needed for the red. You can add a can of fire roasted tomatoes too.

An easy hot stew can be rustled up in a few minutes thanks to a crockpot. Pick your meat. Toss in a few veggies along with broth and spicings and  in a few hours you have a great ,hot meal with leftovers that can be heated up for the next day. A beef one is especially rib sticking.Use  a good cut such as sirloin or brisket cut into cubes. Sliced Yukon potatoes are a great addition because they thicken the sauce. Carrots and peas add not only color but nutrition and flavor too.As for flavoring a dash of garlic powder does a lot but you can also add a chopped white onion, first sauteed in butter and oil. Again a simple salad is a great side and have warmed up slices of sourdough bread for dipping into your bowls. Chicken stew is an easy make .It's the same as the beef except you add some chicken stock.If you want a thicker stew then make a slurry of cornstarch and water. Add some homemade dumplings which is a simple mix of flour, baking powder, milk and butter.The dough is added to the top of the stew where it' bakes over the bubbling stew.The dumplings  are ready when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. This stew doesn't;t need bread or rolls but consider a salad on the side.

Hearty and quick are the requirements for January dinners. They provide nutrition and flavor while keeping stomachs filled and bodies warmed. They are perfect for these chilly nights ahead.

Cooking For The Whole Week

 Weekend cooking  can be a pain but it pays off, especially if you are planning to have it for the entire week. Saturday and Sunday are perfect days  to make those frozen meals for week night dining. There's so much you can make for a full five busy days ahead.

Be ready when you want  to cook a lot.Make sure that the cutting board is clean and wiped down. Are the knives sharpened? Do you have the right ones? Are the pots , both for stove top or for the microwave also clean and ready? When the utensils and gadgets are ready then look at what you have? Jarred sauces and pasta make for good weeknight dinners. They both store and freeze easily. Have boxes of your favorite pasta along with lasagna sheets for cooking. Have both read and white pasta sauces to cook with to vary the upcoming agenda of meals.beans are a vital ingredient in soups and stews. Make sure you have the appropriate number of cans . Also have a variety too, Chickpeas are versatile and can be used in everything form soups to  curries. red kidney beans are another must. They add flavor to soups like minestrone. Do you have enough herbs and spices. Make sure there is enough garlic and onion powder along with oregano and rosemary. Do you have enough of the basic seasonings such a as sea salt and peppercorns that can be freshly ground? Most importantly  - do you have the storage containers ready to be filled and stored.

As for recipes, again a hearty pasta such as penne or bucatini work well with reheating. You can just cook the pasta and then let everyone microwave their own cup of sauce. for later eating. They can be cooked together too.Another dish that can last well into the next weekend isa bean stew. Add any kind of bean you like or a combo of them such as chickpeas and cannellini along with a veggie such as spinach . Tomato paste and vegetable broth give it a smooth texture.  Keep in mind that you can add chicken or beef to this along with stretching it out with rice. or quinoa.For easier cooking with this use your crockpot It allows you to to go about yoru Saturday chores and errands with only having to check in once or twice to see how it's cooking. A meat based stew even lets you make some dumplings for a more filling meal. These can be made either plain or with herbs for a tasty extra.Of  course soups are a good dish to make. They're easy to to store and easy to reheat in the microwave. Take advantage of the season's bounty. A good squash, cauliflower ro pumpkin soup is easy to whip up especially if you have a bof soup pot and an immersion blender.

It's so easy to devote a weekend for weeknight cooking.Decide what you want to make. Get the ingredients and cook. You;ll have delicious homemade meals for the week ahead,

Hot Meals For A Blustery Night

 With March comes blustery winds and cold nights. This is the time for hot meals that are ribsticking and tasty. What to make? Anything from soups to casseroles,

Stock your pantry with a variety of different broths. These will act as the base for soups and chowders. You can make chicke, beef  and/or vegetable broths if you have the time. Store them in the freezer until they're ready to us. What is a good soup? Try a fragrant leek and potato soup.  This is an easy cook. You can add either freshly boiled potatoes or canned. Leeks are abundant right now. Use all parts of them for a tastier potage. A baked potato soup is also a good recipe to make, Top with shredded cheddar or a blob of sour cream.A good miestrone soup is another hearty broth to try. Add a variety of different veggies, from tomatoes to parsnips and carrots. Add beans for more protein. Try a mix of cannelini and kidnesy beans for color and flavor. Do you add pasta? Yes! Try smaller pasta like ditalini or shells. for a heartier fare try stews.Like soups all sorts of ingredients can be added. Try a beef stew with carrots and parsnips along with potatoes and corn. A chicken stew can resemble a pot pie without the soggy pastry bottom. Have a rich creamy gravy that's perfect with dumplings.

Cassaroles are a tasty and filling dish on a cold March night. The most famous and well liked is lasagna. This can be made several different ways. It can be filled with beef crumbles or it can be vegan, Add plant based crumbles or sausage for a different flavor. Ricotta gives it a creaminess but you don;t have to have it. Try a layer of vegan or regular Parmesan for a different flavor. Try adding sliced eggplant, and bell peppers. Another crowd pleaser is baked Macaroni and cheese. Again you can bake the classic or. vary it. The traditional recipe calls for elbow macaroni and a good sharp cheddar. Butter flour and milk gives it a creaminess and velvetiness. A layer of breadcrumbs is added to give it a nice crunchiness and crispness. You can  vary this with crumbled bacon or have laors of bacon between the macaroni and cheese sauce. You also can sub in other cheeses like a mix of Parmesan and Asiago  - sort of like what Panera offers. If the family is craving breakfast for dinner then try a cheesy strata. This is layering French or Italian bread with egg and cheese. You could add strips of ham ro bacon to it for a more flavorful bite.

A cold March night deserves a hot , filling meal. It can be a soup, stew or cassarole.Try any to warm up the family.

Home Cooking From Afghanistan

 Afghanistan has had an interesting history and cuisine. Is' Silk Road influences are still tasted today in most Asian dishes. Yet its' their own recipes and restaurants that provide comfort to displaced Afghanis looking for a remnant of home in the US.

Regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this and the wealth of Afghani restaurants in the DC area in yesterday's New York Times Food section. There has always been struggles in this crux of the Silk Road from Alexander The Great's reign over it to the recent Taliban takeover. That means diasporas. Many have relocated to Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia in modern times. The region is home to one of the largest populations of resettled Afghanis in the US. Many turned to cooking to survive and created thriving businesses for themselves and their children. They are now taking care of the new wave of fellow countrymen who left the country after the Taliban's August takeover. One by one the restaurants took it upon themselves to feed them along with raising money and finding jobs for them. Chef and restauranteur Hamidullah Noori drew strength from these actions. These people have overcome their fears and left one of the worst regimes in recent history.

Afghanistan was on the Silk Road route and traders bought its' variety of spices. Its abundance was in the warm spices of cumin, cardamon, cinnamon and turmeric as recorded in the great cookbook Parwana. It was written by Durkhanai Ayubi  whose family runs a restaurant in Adelaide Australia where they relocated in the late eighties. Cooking was a way for her mother, Farida to stay connected to her heritage. The one s in the DC area feel the same way. They offer such dishes as sabzi, a spinach and dill stew that also has onions and garlic in it and aushak - dumplings redolent with leeks and scallions. There is also Kabuli pulaw a spiced lamb pilaf made with basmati rice and such Silk Road spices as saffron, cumin , cardamon and turmeric. Other restaurants like The Hellmand in Baltimore, one of the older afrghani eateries serves diners dopiazza - a lamb curry The owner, Qayum Karzi is brother of the former president Hamid Karrzi, he started off as a waiter in the 1970's and took it one step further by opening up a place with his American wife Pam.

Afghani food is a way of giving comfort and showing hope to recently arrived refugees. It gives them promise that they too can create a life in America while keeping their heritage. The ancient recipes connect them.

In Celebration Of Ukranian Food

 Our hearts and prayers are with the people of The Ukraine right now.This country was the birthplace of Russian culture and some of their classic foods. They have contributed immensely to the international table.

New York City has the largest Ukrainian populations in the United States. If you live in or near New York, please show your support and visit the many eateries owned by Ukranian-Americans. Try  Vesslega  on Second Ave for borscht and pierogi.Also on Second is Ukranian East Village restaurant. What is good at these recipes and in the cuisine? Start with borscht , the famed beet soup. It's a mix of sliced beets,beef shanks  or ribs and potatoes. Carrots, tomatoes and the Slavic staple cabbage are also added along with garlic and red wine for flavor.each bowl is topped with a generous dollop of sour cream. This can also be made at home for a different type of  week day dinner.The Ukraine is also known for their dumplings or varenyky . They're identical to their Polish cousins the pierogi. The dough isn't a simple one. Sour cream, butter and milk are added for a rich , chewy dough. The fillings can be potato or an indulgent cheese one made with cottage or farmer's cheese. There is also a sauerkraut one , that's also filled with onions and butter and a sweet one made with blueberries, cinnamon and lemon zest.

Of course the best known and loved recipe of the country is the Paska or Easter bread made for the Russian Orthodox Easter.It' is a light sweet bread , baked in special tall tins and decorated with a glaze and sprinkles>lemon zest or orange peel give it extra flavor. There are other  recipes too, including deruny from northern Ukraine. They are similar to potato pancakes found in Germany and Poland , with the shredded potatoes mixed with onion and eggs to form cakes. These are fried and served with either sour cream or a mushroom sauce.Nalysnyky are another sort of pancake or crepe. Traditionally they're made with buckwheat flour, flour or cornmeal and filled with sweet cottage cheese and berries or fried mushrooms. what would Ukrainian cuisine be without chicken Kyiv? It's known the world over and served in the finest restaurants. Parsley is finely chopped with a clove of garlic and added to six tablespoons of butter. A pinch of hot pepper is added as is salt.  This is shaped into a cylinder and chilled. While it's sitting in the fridge, chicken breasts are tenderized with a mallet  The cylinder is then sliced in two and the breasts are wrapped around them. They're then dipped in egg , followed by bread crumbs and fried. They're a lovely , elegant Sunday supper , served with a simple salad.

Our hearts stand with this culinary giant. Their recipes stand tall like the proud , brave people. Honor and support them and their dishes.

Dumplings For The New Year

 The Lunar New Year is fast approaching it and with it comes all the treats of the season. One of them is a plate of dumplings. These are easy to make and fun to eat. Even creating the dough or skins is a simple task. Celebrate the Year of the Ox with a tasty plump dumpling.

Genevieve Ko wrote about these delicious dumplings in today New York Times Food section. Ms Ko, author of Better Baking also gave a few good recipes and how tos  as well. Any home chef, whether novice or experienced can create them. There are two, one savory, filled wit tofu and veggies and the other sweet,  tang yuan, stuffed with sesame seeds, peanut butter and sugar swimming in a sweet ginger soup. Making the dough is therapeutic. There's a soothing rhythm to kneading and rolling out the dough cutting the circles, then filling them.Many home chefs think that making skins or wrappers is hard. They're really not. It's a mix of just flour and hot water. Using the last ensures wrappers that are thin and simple to pleat. Make them with cold water and you wind up with ones that are tougher and more elastic.The tang yuan requires a different dough. The sweet dumplings have wrappers made from rice flour and a cooked mix of water and a neutral oil like grapeseed. Both kinds of wrappers need to stand, the savory for half and hour the rice flour one for only ten minutes.

The fillings are tasty and can be modified. You can be vary them or put your own spin on them. Ms. Ko uses tofu mixed with spinach, watercress or baby bok choy. There's also celery stalks too added and chili crisp for flavor. Chili crisp is a fiery savory/sweet mix you can buy or make yourself. It's a blend of red pepper flakes, ginger, sugar and cinnamon. There's also soy salt to balance this out. The dumplings are  cooked immediately in a mix of oil and water. This ensures a crispy bottom and a tender top. Keep in mind oil and water cooking together can be lethal so keep a cover on the pan until the rapid firecracker popping stops. By then the water has evaporated and you can finish cooking the dumplings in an uncovered pan. As for the sweet ones, they're cooked in the ginger soup. This again is a mix of scrubbed ginger with either rock or granulated sugar. This will only take ten minutes and then divide the dumplings and soup into individual bowls. The filling is a combined mash of ground and toasted sesame seeds and peanut butter. This is put into a freezer to firm up before being turned into filling.

It's the Year of the Ox! Celebrate with savory and sweet dumplings. They're a great way to ring in the Lunar New Year.

Ramadan Recipes To Open The Pantry

Like any other holiday , Ramadan is full of different recipes, from all over the world. The one thing they all have in common is that they're nourishing and tasty after a day of fasting. They're both stomach and soul satisfying.

The famed blogger and chef, Tejal Rao wrote about them today in The New York Times Food section. It's right on time too, with the holiday starting this Friday night and lasting for an entire month. This means a meal at night and then a predawn one before sunrise. The whole act of forgoing food is strenuous , but it's an act of devotion. The holiday is also  about community and charity, along with self-reflection and kindness.It's also about cooks buying in bulk and create a months worth of both easy and elaborate dinners.Freezers are stocked with all sorts of goodies. Pakistani born Malika Ameen stuffs her samosas in it. They're filled with ground beef and bulgar and can easily be popped into hot oil or microwave for easy cooking.There are also big pots of lentil soup ready to be scooped up into bowls. Unfortunately the family recipe, fruit chaat, the tangy fruit salad does take time to create.

Other countries also ave interesting recipes for the holiday. .Bim Adewummi, from Nigeria concentrates on carbohydrates and proteins.She spent one Ramadan making eggplant or courgette fritters, another was devoted to spinach balls, the recipe taken from a halal blog.It was based on another chef's, Antonio Carluccio's green dumplings.or probably gnocchi with pesto. There's also  the famed Lebanese fattoush  that Amanda Saab makes. This is a tasty salad with a lemon sumac dressing served with warm fried ,flatbread.Cinnamon and allspice is also added for subtle sweetness (this is actually a good summer meal dish too for anyone to try). The recipes featured are a watermelon chaat and namoura, the syrup soaked semolina cake. The first is spicy spin on a usually mild flavor, zested and zinged up with paprika and cumin seeds. Again, this would be a neat summer salad at a barbecue. The semolina cake is rich with butter and whole milk yogurt., soaked in a syrup that's' tangy with lemon and fragrant with lavender extract.

Ramadan is the holiday of fasting and feasting.It's the last that makes the days bearable. and the nights enjoyable. It's full of good food. and good memories

Snow Day Cooking Fun

It's another blizzard in another January. Luckily a snow day in means a lot of cooking and a lot of time for fun treats. Frolicking in the white stuff is fun  but there's also a good time to be had in the kitchen.

Start by making a fun breakfast. Omelet cups are super easy and super fun to  make. Take a greased muffin tin Start with a layer of two to three pressed Tater Tots and bake for five minutes at 375 F. The second layer is beaten eggs with a variety of different additions, from chopped ham to broccoli florets/ Top with a hearty sprinkling of cheddar cheese and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes  again at the same temp. Breakfast sandwiches are another fun way to start the day. Vary it with either soft boiled or scrambled eggs along with sausage sliced lengthwise or bacon. Finish with a slice of cheddar. Pancakes are always in demand too. Make it fun by adding chocolate chips and bananas or layering them with peanut butter and Nutella. Consider yourself lucky if you have a waffle maker. Nothing is better than fresh ones with butter and syrup. If it's just grown ups at breakfast add a slug of bourbon to the syrup to make it fun and frisky. This can also be swirled into a bowl of hot oatmeal or farina to jazz it up a bit, French toast is another tasty treat. Give it some oomph by stuffing it. This s just making a sandwich using sweetened cream cheese as the filling. The whole sandwich is then dipped in an egg and milk wash and baked  for ten to fifteen minutes in a  350 degree F oven. Serve with maple syrup or a homemade fruit coulis.This syrup is made by just heating  up jam and a few teaspoons of water in a sauce pan to create a smooth sauce.


A day inside means cooking and baking too. Lunch or dinner can be a homemade pizza. (which is always better than the frozen kind) Pizza dough is easy to make, being an easy blend of flour, yeast and water.Top with pizza sauce and mozzarella for a traditional one. Add anything from bacon bits to sliced onion for a more exciting pie.Use this blizzard to stay indoors and play with all those gadgets you received  for Christmas. Try out that pasta machine by making spaghetti or better yet, ravioli. The new crockpot can be used to make a pot of  chili or stew with dumplings. Bored kids will love making and decorating homemade cookies.. A simple sugar recipe is the easiest and the most versatile.  They can even make sandwich ones too , stuffed with buttercream. By now moms across the area should have the ingredients to  make a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie. Nothing beats a  full plate  of them with milk after a romp in those flakes. Cake pops are another fun treat to try at home. Kids will love decorating them  as much as they'll love eating  them. Make sure there is plenty of  white, milk and dark chocolate chips to melt into  coatings along with different colored sugars, candy confetti along with silver dragees, shredded coconut and chopped nuts for decorating. You can also do this with cupcakes too. End the day with homemade cheese or kettle corn, again easy to make as it is to eat.

Don't worry about the cabin fever that accompanies a blizzard. Iit's a day to have fun in the kitchen. Be creative , whether it's making a meal or treat!

Your Fall Kitchen

The temps have finally cooled down  and there's a refreshing nip in the air. Autumn starts in a few days  and that means a change in cooking and baking,Now home chefs and bakers will want to sped more time in a warm kitchen , instead of avoiding it.

Lower temp means things can heat up around the oven. After eating just dogs and salads for a season, it's nice to have real main dishes with hearty sides.For many busy home chefs, this is the time to dust off the crockpot. There's nothing like making  stick to your ribs stews with dumplings and chilis. Make sure you have the spices for this such as bay leaves and cloves for any stew or ragout and chili spices and cayenne for chilis. It also pays to stock up on pastas too as well as cans of tomato paste and sauce to make homemade sauce.Pasta, especially the whole wheat kind, can be used as main dishes  even for Saturday lunches or Sunday suppers.It's quick and easy to make, a nice meal to come home to on a chilly night. If you have grown basil all summer for homemade spaghetti and pizzas, then pick it now and freeze for later use.This is easy to doc- just wash the leaves, pat dry with a paper towel and then layer loosely in a plastic container.They can last up to a year. You can also turn them into pesto sauce too. This involves putting olive oil , garlic cloves and big handfuls of basil leaves in a blender and pureeing them into a smooth paste. Pour into containers and freeze. It's an excellent base for homemade tomato sauce and gives it more flavor and zing.

Fall is also the time for baking as well. Many home bakers take advantage of it being  apple season and want to bake pies. If that's the case then stock up on Crisco along with flour. Galettes, a more delicate version of pie , can also  be made with the fruits of the season, like pear and fig. These tarts require a lot of  butter so it pays to always have a couple of sticks around. This is also the time of school bake sales so have the ingredients for cookies and cupcakes handy too. Home bakers may just want to bake a batch of some sweet treat just to have a nice dessert. If you're big on doughnuts and fresh baked bread then add yeast to your shopping list.If you're not much of a baker but still love a morning treat of warm rolls, then stock up on a few rolls of poppin fresh anything. This may also be a good time to critically look at baking pans and tins,.Sometimes they do rust and need to be replaced. Think about buying   the new silicon versions which will make the baking experience easier. Also stock up on vanilla , sugars, both granulated and confectioner as well as food coloring for icings. too.Candy making is big now too. Make sure the candy thermometer is working properly or just replace it.. Also have plenty of sticks ready for candy apples.

Yes, there's a nip in the air. That 's a signal that home chefs and home bakers can go back to making hearty dishes and rich apple pies. Tis the season for serious cooking , baking, and of course, eating!

Oscar Party Time

There's nothing more fun than Oscar night.Yes, it's pure excitement for the winners,There's glitz and glamour and the chance to win that little golden guy.Yet the most fun will be watching it from home .Create your own party with friends or just with family.Sit back ,with some Oscar worthy snacks. if you're planning a party, then go the Wolfgang Puck way.This Hollywood chef is known for his elaborate appetizers and hors d'ouvres.Try his baked Mac and truffles,but use porcini mushrooms (or anyones you like)If that's too much then try his bruschetta.This is the classic Italian appetizer but amped up with white anchovies, tapanade and goat cheese.He also has a California guacamole that laced with roasted garlic that gives the dip a smoky flavor.Use as a filling for tacos or as dip.Chef Puck is famous for his pizzas too and you can easily recreate his any of his. For a luxe Hollywood one, add caviar on top of a rich tomato one(skip the cheese, it may be too much) Another way is creating movie snacks.Of course there's popcorn which is good just buttered, but can be amped up with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, chili powder or mixed herbs.Another fun snack are nachos and cheese. this is easy to make with just cheddar slices, milk butter and a pinch of flour for body.You can make this a true party plate by pouring the cheese over shredded chicken or chopped beef along with adding olives and sliced jalapenos. Another fun idea is dim sum.Dumplings are easy to make and there are so many different fillings from true vegan to a pork and shrimp combo. Serve with a Ginger soy sauce or a sweet plum one. You can also honor traditional drive in fare with sliders, home made fries and malteds too,and the last can be spiked with liquor for an added kick. Oscar night is a night of parties.Have your own with fun and tasty food.Celebrate Hollywood with style and flavor!